


Lost Balance

by insight_ful



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: (stetson based adventure), Based on a Tumblr Post, Blackwatch Era, First Kiss, Fluff, Hanamura, M/M, Not Beta Read, Teenagers, Undercover, Young Hanzo Shimada, Young Jesse McCree, i have no friends that read, in which hanzo pretends not to speak english, kill me lowkey, never beta read who am i kidding, sba, stupid cowboy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-24
Updated: 2017-07-24
Packaged: 2018-12-06 03:56:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11592438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/insight_ful/pseuds/insight_ful
Summary: Jesse McCree has embarked on his first Blackwatch mission, and after many failed attempts to get intel on the Shimada clan, he turns to some very simple methods. Methods which lead to a very weird friendship, a stolen hat, a soaked cowboy, and a cheesy kiss under a cherry blossom tree.





	Lost Balance

**Author's Note:**

> this is based off a tumblr post from toastedtwink! it's right here:  
> https://toastedtwink.tumblr.com/post/150817338791/this-dumb-cowboy-makes-hanzo-feel
> 
> i spent the first half of my day scrolling through the entire blog, and the second half writing this based off some of the treasures i found there.

Jesse McCree could not exactly pinpoint the moment that he knew he'd ruined his mission, but he had a sinking feeling as of late that is was just spiraling down a never ending drain of “fuck”.

Unsurprisingly, that sort of thing happened pretty often for the cowboy.

This time in particular though is slightly different, at least as far as the outcome goes.

The mission was very simply just to go incognito and get intel on the Shimada clan, and how had Jesse planned to do that? Well, his first plan was just to spy on the area. However, after finding that hardly anyone came in and out of the Shimada home aside from staff, he dropped that idea. He then moved on to the slightly more intricate, but way less clever plan of attempting to be a pesky delivery boy. Obviously that one didn't work either.

It was after that second plan failed that he started to realize that maybe going undercover in Hanamura would be more difficult than it had been back home in New Mexico. Less room for mistakes.

His third plan, after being lectured by Reyes on his first update call to Blackwatch, was to get into the Shimada staff. He figured that it would likely be the only way that he could get actual information on the clan without having to break and risk being caught. He had very little interest in facing interrogations and potential death.

And thus begun Plan C: “Get hired and fuck shit up from the inside.”

Perhaps it wasn't the most well thought out plan, or the best named, but it was the most likely to work out of all of them that he had.

Preparing for the plan was difficult to say the least. He had to come up with a fake identity, get fake documents, and even get a new look. To him it felt like nothing less than medieval torture. Some way that the fates of the world had decided to punish him with hard work, thinking, and losing his beloved Stetson.

For some likely stupid reason, he hadn't bothered to lose his cowpoke getup for the mission, thinking that he didn't matter since he hadn't been in sight of the clan. Aside from when he attempted to act as a delivery boy, when he'd actually gotten (stolen) a uniform and went to such extents as shaving.

He managed to set up an interview, aiming to get a position on the only portion of the Shimada staff that seemed to hire from the outside. Custodial.

McCree was going to be reduced to a simple maid, and he certainly had some feelings about it. He had complained to Ana countless times over the past few days as she helped him get his documents in order via long distance calls. She agreed that it was a pretty bad situation for him, especially after seeing the young man’s room when she had to venture into it back on the base to find something or another over the days that they'd been making his fake persona.

To put it simply, the young man was a mess.

His room really wasn’t terrible. Just… unsatisfactory. Dirty clothes were scattered around, as well as clean clothes. A few plates sat around the room from lunches that he spent in his room or midnight snacks. Etcetera, etcetera. It could have been much worse, but it was still clear that McCree was not cut out to play the maid role. Regardless, that was his only choice.

So, Jesse McCree became John Wayne; a young man looking to dedicate himself to a job after finding himself orphaned because of the Omnic Crisis. Hoping for an employer that will house him as well as let him work.

So, what better place for John Wayne than the Shimada estate?

 

It took no more than him walking into the interview and handing over his “resume” for him to be declined the job. It was a little disappointing, but at the same time, he was relieved. He wouldn’t have to clean, he wouldn’t have to wear a stupid uniform, and above all, he wouldn’t have to deal with being called John. While John Wayne was certainly an icon, the name itself wasn’t the most impressive.

So Jesse found himself stuck in the same position that he was just a week ago. He had no clue how to get more intel on the Shimada clan.

Donning his stetson and tying a bandana around his neck, he sighed, leaving his temporary home in a local motel room in favor of wandering the streets. Boredom often got the better of him, and he found it pretty hard to just lay low in his room all day after a while.

Initially, he headed towards the Shimada Castle, not knowing anywhere better to wander. He found himself walking aimless circles around the property, feeling as if he was just sweeping the perimeter and on guard. While that wasn’t the case, pretending was more fun than nothing.

On the fourth time around the property, he spotted an open gate near the back. Upon further investigation, he saw no guards, and no staff at all actually. He was in the clear. Within minutes he was on the property that he’d been trying to get into for two weeks now, and all because he’d given up and was walking around out of boredom. He felt pretty damn proud of himself. Reyes would never believe it.

He spent a short while exploring the area, marveling at the cherry blossoms that looked better than the rest in the area, and the grass that looked so plush that he was pretty sure he could take a nap on it with no problem.

Shimada Castle certainly had good gardeners.

“あなたは誰?”

The sudden Japanese quite frankly scared the shit out of McCree. He jumped, turning on his heels. His hand reflexively snapped to his hip, where Peacekeeper would be if he hadn’t foolishly left her back in his motel.

Leave it to McCree to ruin his first Blackwatch mission by being caught wandering around the Shimada property like he belonged there. He stared down the man that stood across from him, standing in the middle of a wooden bridge in the yard.

He man looked young, around his own age, wearing what Jesse was pretty sure was a yukata. He was still a little foggy on all the details of the traditional Japanese stuff. He tried his best, but his best was a lazy effort.

Brown eyes bore into him hard enough that he felt as if they’d just pierces a hole right through his stomach, and the black hair that framed the man’s face certainly didn’t help, despite how soft it looked as it moved with the breeze.

They engaged in a bit of a staring contest, getting a good look at one another and judging what they saw. McCree couldn’t say that he wasn’t impressed. The other seemed fit, which he really didn’t expect from someone in a clan of ninjas. Well-- perhaps he should rephrase that. He expected the ninja thing to make them more lean and lanky, not nearly as broad shouldered as himself.

He was a bit taken aback to see the Hanzo Shimada standing in front of him though. He found himself at a bit of a loss. What exactly do you do in a situation like this?

He gave the Shimada a small, awkward wave, his hand moving away from his hip and falling loosely to his side. He was sure that looking as if he had a gun wouldn’t be the best choice at the moment.

Hanzo offered him a wave back, the corner of his lips turning up just enough that Jesse could not see the difference from where he stood. Still, the wave was enough to get Jesse to smile right back, though his was much bigger and arguably goofy. Who knew such a simple gesture could get such a grin from him.

Both of them just stood there for a minute, until Hanzo spoke up once again.

“無回答ですか?” He spoke a bit softer than he had last time, since he actually had Jesse’s attention now.

McCree had absolutely no idea what the hell Hanzo was saying.

He stood there for a moment, likely looking rather idiotic to the Shimada. He tried to wrack his brain to figure out what he could have said, digging through the trace amounts of Japanese he’d learned before leaving for this mission and what he’d picked up during his time here. Alas, no dice.

So, he just gave him a shrug, which prompted Hanzo to raise his brows, his smile growing even more. Maybe McCree’s ignorance would actually benefit him for once.

A minute or two passed of the two just standing there, but eventually Hanzo moved, walking across the wooden bridge and approaching the cowboy at a leisurely pace.

He walked around him, placing a hand on his back and grabbing his bicep, before he began leading him back towards the gate. Knowing better than to put up a fight at the moment, Jesse allowed Hanzo to escort him out, letting go of him as soon as he was outside the gate. He gave him a wave like he had just minutes before, and then promptly closed the gate, cutting them off.

Jesse couldn’t recall the last time he’d felt so alive.

\---

It really didn’t take long for a habit to form. Jesse would get bored, walk around the Shimada castle a few times, and then find an open entrance. He’d wander in, Hanzo would find him, and they’d repeat the process all over again. Sometimes more words would be exchanged, and others Hanzo would simply roll his eyes and point him towards the nearest way out, telling him to go.

That never discouraged the cowboy.

He came back day after day, assuring Reyes that he had a plan in motion. 

McCree would meet Hanzo, they’d stare for awhile, Hanzo would talk, and he’d leave. It was always like that. Jesse had yet to say more than a simple “hello”, which was one of the few things the could correctly pronounce in Japanese.

The first time that Jesse managed to find Hanzo first was… eventful?

The Shimada was walking through the yard, sticking near the wall. Jesse came up behind him, not making himself quiet in the slightest. Not that he could even if he wanted to. Those damn boots and spurs made it practically impossible for him to do much sneaking around. Yet he refused to exchange them for anything more mission-appropriate.

Hanzo had stopped once he heard him, standing still but not turning around. He paused the fanning he had been doing, the paper fan in his hand held near his chest, taking a brief break from relieving him from the warm weather.

Jesse leaned up against the wall. Or rather, a hand braced himself against the wall so that he would have enough balance to cross his legs and lean over.

“Well aren’t you prettier than a snowpea--” He had uttered more words than he had to Hanzo total so far, only to get hit in the face with his fan.

“No English,” Hanzo was quick to go back to fanning himself as he walked off, leaving Jesse leaning against the wall with his face frozen in a mix of shock and pure flirt.

He stood in silence for a second before recovering, righting himself and dusting his shirt off. “Well that just ain’t fair,” he grumbled, turning around and leaving the property on his own this time. It would not be the first time that he left on a sour note after paying Hanzo a compliment.

As the days went on, Jesse continued to return, and soon found that on the days where he made as many as five round around the property without seeing an entrance, one would seemingly magically open on his last time around, just before he’d decide to give up hope. And when he wandered inside, it would be a matter of seconds before the heir to the Shimada clan would find him.

On the fourth day of the suspicious entrance opening, not only did Hanzo find him, but he snuck up behind him and plucked his stetson from his head.

Whipping around, Jesse found Hanzo already a few meters away, running off with the hat on his head. He held onto the top of it as if he was trying to keep it on no matter what. McCree took off after him, stopping after a while and leaning down, hands on his knees. He could only handle so much running, especially when he wasn’t prepared. Not only were the boots not good for sneaking, but they weren’t the most effective for running either.

“W-wait!” McCree was breathless, huffing and puffing as he tried to get his lungs to function properly. He silently cursed his bad habit of smoking while he gave himself a second to recoup.

When he looked up, he saw Hanzo effortlessly skipping across the stones of the small stream in his yard; an amazing feat when you take into account the geta on his feet. How in the world he managed to keep his balance on those slick rocks was beyond Jesse.

“Y’know, it’s rude to snatch a man’s hat-!” He breathed, hands on his hips.

“あれ?” Hanzo glanced over his shoulder, lips curled up ever so slightly into a smile, and eyes showing just how mischievous he was feeling.

The little shit.

He’d stuck the cowboy right in the heart, leaving his face flushed, eyes wide.

He had never felt quite as gay as he did in that moment.

“Uh- um…” He mumbled, collecting himself. He had to look away from Hanzo, glancing around the yard for a brief moment. “N-now you hold on a minute! Don’t you “Arr-ey” me!”

The cowboy furrowed his brows, determined. He took a step out onto the first rock, prepared to follow after Hanzo and get his hat back from the heathen.

However, his lead foot was nothing compared to Hanzo’s eloquent little hops from stone to stone, and as soon as he reached out after him, he felt himself wobbling.

Jesse began to teeter forward, ready to grab Hanzo’s shoulder for balance, only for the Shimada to turn his shoulder, an innocent look on his face as Jesse slipped right past him and splashed into the stream.

Hanzo crossed his arms on his chest, looking down at the now soaked cowpoke with a smile and quiet laugh. He skipped across the rest of the rocks, getting to the grass on the other side of the stream. He took the hat off and held it to his chest, watching as McCree sat up, a lily pad stuck on the top of his head.

He found that pretty comical.

His lips turned up further than they already had been, his whole face showing the pure joy he got out of seeing Jesse all miserable and wet due to his own antics.

His hair lost all of it’s volume, lying pin straight against his head and covering his eyes. McCree’s arm came up to his head, pulling the lily pad off and dropping it back into the water with a smack.

“You’re really askin’ for it, Shimada,” he narrowed his eyes at the happy heir across from him, only for them to widen again as he gave him the slightest hint of a shrug and turned, whisking his hat away into the Castle and out of his sight.

He would be back for that. Hanzo wouldn’t get away with holding his poor stetson hostage for long.

Though, his main goal at the moment was to get back to his motel and change into something dry. Maybe even shower while he was at it. That lily pad had some algae growing on the bottom, and he wasn’t sure exactly how he felt about that touching his hair.

\---

It took Jesse approximately thirty minutes to get fed up with sitting around his motel the next day, and then only ten more minutes to find himself wandering around Shimada Castle as he had been doing every day.

Not having his hat brought him a bit more anxiety than he thought it would, and he wasn’t even exactly sure why. But stacking that on top of his impatience to see the Shimada again just made waiting unbearable.

He only had to walk around the property two times before a gate opened for him, leading him to the yard once again.

Hesitant, he meandered around, finding himself under a tree. He didn’t know what Hanzo could be prompted to snatch from him next, so he certainly had his guard up. He leaned back against one of the few cherry blossoms in the yard, eyes wandering the vicinity carefully. He only wished Hanzo didn’t hail from a family of ninjas. It certainly made sneaking up on Jesse easy.

And it precisely what he did, coming out from the other side of the tree and appearing to McCree’s side quickly enough for him to yelp. He had drawn his arms up against his chest, stepping back from the tree and looking Hanzo up and down.

No signs of his stetson.

He narrowed his eyes at Hanzo, suspicious.

The Shimada smiled, stepping closer to him, and that was enough to make McCree lose his edge. He was much too gay to resist.

He brought his hand up to Hanzo’s chin, index finger curling under it while his thumb rested just below his lip. Hanzo’s own hands moved to, fingers curling around Jesse’s forearm and bicep.

“Mah-ku-ree?” He quirked a brow, saying Jesse’s last name.

Yes, Jesse had very stupidly introduced himself as McCree a few days back, and he’d already gone through the grief of thinking about until he fell asleep. Though Hanzo didn’t seem to be concerned with his status in Blackwatch. Either that or he wasn’t aware/didn’t make the connection.

The way it came out with his accent though was just… wow. Jesse smiled, nodding. Hanzo said it again, this time with less of a questioning tone.

Jesse found himself leaning forward without so much as a thought, his hand shifting from Hanzo’s chin to his cheek. He watched as Hanzo’s eyes closed before he closed his own.

“I love how you say my name, Darlin’,” he mumbled, his lips brushing against Hanzo’s as he spoke.

God, he was glad he didn’t forget to brush his teeth.

As their lips fully connected, Jesse swore he could feel a spark where Hanzo’s hands were on his arms, though he knew better than to think it was from the kiss. If it actually happened at all, it was just static electricity.

Hanzo’s lips were soft. Very, very soft, and despite not being big and pouty, they still felt incredible against McCree’s own more chapped set. He let his other hand settle on Hanzo’s hip, pulling him just a tiny bit closer.

He wasn’t sure what prompted this, and he knew that Reyes would have his ass hanging above a fireplace if he knew what was happening, but fuck if he cared at the moment.

Hanzo broke the kiss first, pulling away only for Jesse to chase his lips. When they opened their eyes, foreheads brought together, they smiled. 

A minute passed before either of them moved, only for Hanzo to pull away from McCree, disappearing back into the Shimada Castle without a word.

Dumbfounded, Jesse stood there, still a big hazy from all the stupid feelings running through his head. It took him a short while to realize that Hanzo had just kissed him and left, and that he was still in possession of his stetson. He guessed it was his personal insurance. Something that would keep bringing Jesse back. As if he needed that to keep the cowboys interest.

He was too fucking gay for that to matter much.


End file.
